makin' trax

It finally snowed!! I've been waiting for 2 weeks for a storm to deliver enough snow that I could enjoy a run outside in a winter wonderland.

Yesterday evening, the snow began to gently fall right around 4:00, just as I pulled into a parking lot to run a few miles after work. By the time I was half a mile into the run, snow was falling steadily, with a light wind at my back. The cold air somehow made the smell of a dairy farm nearby seem sharper and the herd closer to the road than they were, but the hazy farm with warm cows standing strong in the snow was more of a peaceful sight than stinky distraction.

I don't usually run back to back days, but last night I decided that I was going to wake up and go for a run in the morning. I wanted to try out my new Yak Trax, a Christmas gift from Glenn. I thought I should familiarize myself with the contraption while still coherent, rather than struggling in the dark hours of almost sleep. A wise move, since the directions were foggy at best. After a few attempts I was able to get the Yak Trax on my shoes, and I was ready for the snow.

This morning, I awoke to a wintery display of soft cottony whiteness covering our cul de sac. I quickly got dressed in my winter gear, Glenn took one look at me and muttered something with the word "crazy" in it.

The Yak Trax worked beautifully. I thought I'd be able to feel the metal coils wound beneath the sole that provide the traction, but I couldn't. Those coils gripped into the wintery mixture on the ground and I was able to run more or less normally. My run was a short one - just under two miles - but it felt so invigorating to be out on the streets so early on a snowy morning. My neighbors gave me a few strange looks - one older gentleman even shook his head - and passing cars seemed a bit surprised and put out to have to contend with a crazy woman in neon green trotting through the slush.

I was quickly able to tell which kinds of snowy cover were easier to run through. Packed snow is certainly the easiest, while the thicker dirty slush was like slogging through knee deep oatmeal. My legs felt a bit slow during this run - I guess the resistance of the snow did slow me down a bit - but overall, it was a wonderful way to start my day.

Crazy as I am, I can't wait for another snow storm to bring us enough of that glorious white stuff so I can play with my new toy again!